1. Field
The example embodiments generally relate to an end effector, and a robot for transferring a substrate having the same. More particularly, the example embodiments relate to an end effector for picking up and/or placing a substrate, and a robot for transferring a substrate to a desired position using the end effector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a semiconductor manufacturing process may include a process for depositing a layer on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a photolithography process for forming photoresist patterns on the deposited layer, an etching process for forming desired circuit patterns using the photoresist patterns, a cleaning process for cleaning the substrate after the etching process, and the like.
Apparatuses for performing the processes may include an airtight chamber unit to provide a high vacuum environment. The chamber unit may include a process chamber, a transfer chamber, a buffer chamber, and the like. The process chamber and the buffer chamber may be disposed around the transfer chamber. A robot for transferring a substrate may be disposed to transfer semiconductor substrates between the process chamber and the buffer chamber.
An example of the substrate transfer robot is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-158272.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional robot for transferring a substrate.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional robot for transferring a substrate includes a base arm 20 mounted on a housing 10, first and second end arms 30 and 40 connected to an end portion of the base arm 20, and first and second blades 51 and 53 rotatably connected to end portions of the end arms 30 and 40, respectively. The substrate transfer robot transfers semiconductor substrates W1 and W2 between buffer chambers and process chambers using the blades 51 and 53.
Semiconductor substrates are generally processed in the process chambers using an etching solution or an etching gas. Contaminants such as reaction by-products, the etching solution, and the like, which may remain on the semiconductor substrates, may be removed by a cleaning process, and a drying process on the semiconductor substrates may be performed.
Meanwhile, when the semiconductor substrates are transferred to perform the cleaning process for removing the contaminants, the first and second blades 51 and 53 may be contaminated by the semiconductor substrates. Further, when the cleaned semiconductor substrates are transferred by the contaminated first and second blades 51 and 53 after performing the cleaning process, the cleaned semiconductor substrates may be recontaminated by the contaminated first and second blades 51 and 53.
To solve the problems described above, the semiconductor substrates on which the contaminants remain may be transferred by one of the first and second blades 51 and 53, and the cleaned semiconductor substrates may be transferred by the other one of the first and second blades 51 and 53. For example, in a case where the first blade 51 transfers the semiconductor substrates on which the contaminants remain, the second blade 53 may transfer the cleaned semiconductor substrate 53. As a result, the throughput of a substrate transfer apparatus including the first and second blades 51 and 53 may be deteriorated. That is, the time required to transfer the semiconductor substrates may be increased.